Airdate: The Simpsons Funday Football

Animated special The Simpsons Funday Football will screen as part of NFL content next week on ESPN2 and Disney+.

The Simpsons creators have collaborated with ESPN and the NFL as a follow-up to Toy Story Funday Football last season.

Atoms Stadium in Springfield will be home to animated versions of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys (at least it’s not the Denver Broncos).

Bart Simpson sides with Joe Burrow and the Bengals while Homer aligns with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.

For most of the game, Bart and Homer will let their new Bengals and Cowboys teammates manage the action, but the iconic father and son duo won’t sit on the sidelines for the entire game. Each will select key opportunities to play offense and/or defence, replacing a player and joining his other 10 teammates on the field.

Surrounding the gameplay, Marge and Lisa will interview players during the game and Maggie will fly the SkyCam, while popular characters, show references and aesthetics will bring a real Sunday-night-with-the-Simpsons feel to Monday Night Football.

The telecast will feature dozens the show’s iconic characters, with each character playing into their well-known persona. Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith will voice several of their characters in prerecorded bits and skits.

Animated segments incorporating Stephen A. Smith, Peyton and Eli Manning and more will appear in the telecast, with their segments written by the Simpsons creators.

The Simpsons Funday Football will have its own animated commentators, as ESPN’s Simpsons enthusiasts Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will provide football strategy discussion with Drew Carter calling the game action.

Kimes, Orlovsky and Carter will be animated in the style of the Simpsons and don ESPN Edge Innovation Partner’s Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield thanks to VR technology and Sony’s Beyond Sports’ Virtual Commentator Technology.

Week 14 NFL on ESPN

Friday December 6
11.30am AEDT, NFL Blitz, ESPN
12.15pm AEDT, Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions, ESPN

Monday December 9
5am AEDT, Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN
5am AEDT, Atlanta Falcons vs Minnesota Vikings, ESPN2
5am AEDT, NFL RedZone, ESPN App*
8.25am AEDT, Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams, ESPN
11.30am AEDT, NFL Blitz, ESPN
12.15pm AEDT, Los Angeles Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs, ESPN

Tuesday December 10
7am AEDT, Monday Blitz, ESPN
10am AEDT, Monday Night Countdown, ESPN
12.05pm AEDT, Simpsons Funday Football, ESPN2 and Disney+
12.15pm AEDT, Cincinnati Bengals vs Dallas Cowboys, ESPN

ESPN and ESPN2 are available on Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV and Sky NZ.